Neversfall - Ed Gentry [44]
"Good sauce," he said.
"It's made from two different fruits and more spices than I can remember," she replied.
"Congratulations on the expedition."
She turned a curious eye on him and was rewarded with a genuine smile. "We didn't find much."
"Any expedition where everyone returns unharmed…" he said, leaving the sentence unfinished as he bit into a piece of meat.
Adeenya couldn't stop a chuckle and agreed. "And what about here, Durir? Any news? I've not spoken with the commander yet."
Taennen's face turned dour. "Twelve dead, Orir. Seven Durpari and five Maquar."
Adeenya bowed her head, offering a prayer of balance to the Adama, asking for the powers that be to replace what had been taken.
"Your dorir can give you the list, sir," Taennen added.
"How did the invaders get in?" she asked. "Even opened, the gates should have forced them all into one spot."
Taennen blew out a long breath. "We still don't know. And then there's Khatib."
She placed her plate on the ground and turned her body square to his.
"He was locked in. I've no doubt about that," Taennen said.
"Then they found a way to break the lock?" she said.
"It isn't that simple," Taennen said. "Jhoqo believes the attackers got the passphrase from the citadel's former wizard."
"A traitor?" Adeenya said.
"Maybe," Taennen said, "or they may have tortured the phrase out of his or her mind."
"That makes sense, I suppose," she said. "But you don't seem certain."
Taennen glanced around and said, "One of the prisoners told me that Khatib's murderer was not one of the attackers."
Adeenya's head swam with too many questions. She did not know where to begin. "Which prisoner? How did they see?"
"The big formian," Taennen replied as he looked at the ground. "Guk."
Adeenya sighed. The word of the formians meant less than nothing. "You can't be serious. Who does he say is the traitor?" she asked.
"He won't tell me until I free the formians."
"Who do you think did it, if Guk's not just spinning tales?"
Taennen dropped his fork to his plate and set both on the ground. "I haven't any idea. There are over two dozen people in this camp that I do not know. It could have been any of them."
"You assume it was one of my people?" she replied, turning to see the man's face turning red. "I…" he stammered.
Taennen stared at her for several moments before holding out his left hand, palm up. He gripped his left wrist with his right hand and closed his eyes while lowering his head. Adeenya was humbled by the gesture, remembering its roots. Before Southerners learned of the Adama they lived very differently by often savage rules. If a man stole or even offended someone, a common punishment was the removal of his hand. Offering one's hand in such a gesture as Taennen was doing was a sign of great apology and acceptance of wrongdoing.
"Besides, it probably wasn't anyone here," he said. "Jhoqo is right. The last wizard of this place probably died right after revealing the passphrase. Poor soul."
Adeenya nodded, but she just wasn't sure. She debated telling him about her pendant. "Why would the formian lie?" she said.
"For his freedom, of course," Taennen replied.
"Yes, I suppose. He just…" she said.
"What?"
"He just doesn't seem dishonest," Adeenya said. "Frightening in his goals, yes. But not dishonest."
Many moments of silence passed between them. All around the courtyard, soldiers from both armies went about their duties, some on watch, some inspecting the small buildings, others hauling the dead bodies toward the citadel gate. They would be taken outside and burned some distance from the fortress.
"Time to start new," Adeenya said, quoting the founder of the Adama.
"The beginning is the beast," Taennen said.
"What?"
He turned toward her, a weak smile on his face. "My father used to say that every time he was working on a new spell or making a new piece for a customer."
Adeenya agreed. "He was full of quotes. You said he was good."
Taennen nodded. "He was the best enchanter in Estagund."
"Then I'm not sure I understand what